Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnstable, MA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,398 in Barnstable, MA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barnstable, MA and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barnstable, MA and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Barnstable, MA versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Barnstable, MA $2,398
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Barnstable, MA versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Barnstable, MA $3,546
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,695 in Barnstable, MA versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Barnstable, MA $4,695
Medellin $3,199

Living in Barnstable, MA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnstable, MA 77% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 $18.23

$8.30 COP 26.3K

119.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$46.91 COP 148.7K

57.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$9.24 COP 29.3K

9.09%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.05 COP 9,676

30.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.80 COP 5,707

17.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.38 COP 4,382

21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.24 COP 10.3K

58.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.56 COP 17.6K

23.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.50 COP 4,760

-30.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.37 COP 7,508

28.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.70 COP 5,377

141.18%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$2.96 COP 9,379

39.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-10.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-37.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$4.13 COP 13.1K

0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.53 COP 4,839

17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.22 COP 7,052

101.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.27 COP 7,194

59.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.99 COP 6,311

11.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.67 COP 5,285

28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.18 COP 3,742

63.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.24 COP 3,919

96.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$3.87 COP 12.3K

214.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.66 COP 5,256

30.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.40 COP 7,615

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.24 COP 3,944

57.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.68 $34.68

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-55.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.28 COP 4,044

165.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.15 COP 6,803

74.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.52 $25.52

$8.37 COP 26.5K

204.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.35 COP 4,288

-23.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-21.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.4K $24.4K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-29.75%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$101 $101

$167 COP 528.4K

-39.35%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$60.7 $60.7

$13.62 COP 43.2K

345.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$29.12 COP 92.3K

118.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 $41.77

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.38 $24.38

$17.18 COP 54.5K

41.91%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$6.97 COP 22.1K

97.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,833 $1,833

$790 COP 2.5M

131.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K $29.7K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

227.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 $55.9

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-36.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 $37.94

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$139 COP 440.7K

-42.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$98.9 COP 313.5K

0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$1,028 COP 3.3M

53.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 $1,315

$620 COP 2.0M

112.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$1,881 COP 6.0M

32.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$1,008 COP 3.2M

116.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,718 $2,718

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-31.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 $2,379

$1,702 COP 5.4M

39.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,584 $4,584

$663 COP 2.1M

591.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 52.9% $695

Groceries & Markets

Barnstable, MA

$322 13.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 7.5% $24

Eating Out

Barnstable, MA

$278 11.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 38.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnstable, MA

$226 9.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 7.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Barnstable, MA

$123 5.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 40.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Barnstable, MA

$69 2.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 14.8% $10

Getting Around

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 47.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barnstable, MA and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 591% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Barnstable, MA vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h behind Barnstable, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Barnstable, MA Medellin 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Barnstable, MA
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barnstable, MA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnstable, MA and Medellin differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,398 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 591% higher in Barnstable, MA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barnstable, MA versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 126% less than in Barnstable, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,833 in Barnstable, MA versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,398 in Barnstable, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Barnstable, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Barnstable, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.